Here's a shot of the female Goldeneye found by Rob Fanning at Phairs Pond this morning -- not quite close enough for a good shot with my 400mmm lens...

Is it a Common or Barrow's? Input most welcome. In either case, this is a first-ever sighting for the Celery Farm. (Prevalent opinion is that it is a Common Goldeneye.)

Will post Jerry Barrack's photos of the Goldeneye later today.

Rob Fanning found a first-ever-for-the-Celery-Farm Goldeneye at Phair's Pond this morning.

Will post pix when I can. (Thanks, Rob!!)

Just had to walk to the Warden's Watch this morning before the snow melted.

The combination of fall foliage and winter whitage was stunning.

Saw an Osprey, Great Blue, Geat Egret, Bufflehead, Ruddy and a distant Red-shoulder. 

More pix follow.

My latest column for The Record and Herald News is about the morning after Hurricane Sandy, and a walk in the Celery Farm.

Here's a sample: "A week ago Tuesday, the morning after the hurricane had unleashed its havoc on North Jersey, I was in a bit of a daze.

"Like so many other locales, my town of Allendale was a disaster area — trees everywhere had toppled, power lines were down, and roads were closed.

"I went into the nearby Celery Farm Natural Area to assess the damage there. A few big trees had crashed across the path, and branches large and small were strewn all over.

"As I approached the lake, I noticed a great blue heron standing motionless in the shadows. A strange sense of calm came over me as I watched a timeless scene, a heron patiently waiting to snare a fish."

I also write about Pine Siskins. The link is here.

Wednesday night's book-signing event for "The Nature of the Meadowlands" at Bookends in Ridgewood has been postponed because of the predicted Nor'easter.

The event, featuring author Jim Wright and Governor Thomas Kean (who wrote the foreword) will be rescheduled.

Stay tuned.